No Need for Fashion Police , Austria says...

(Australasia News)

Vienna - Flip-flops in the office, plunging necklines or odd socks and ties of questionable taste - one in five Austrians believes there is no taboo in fashion. However, some rules do exist for the remainder, a recent study found, but not surprisingly differences emerge in terms of age and gender with only 25 per cent of those aged over 50 admitting to an interest in fashion.

Fashion is interesting for 56 per cent of the country's female population, but only for 22 per cent of Austria's men, as a glance around a Vienna subway train on any given morning readily confirms.

While being moderately relaxed about leisure garb, people do have views about proper office attire.

Women should avoid major fashion blunders like bare midriffs or G- strings rakishly peeking out, 52 per cent said. Strict opinions prevailed also for cleavages - 47 per cent found their fashion sense disturbed by plunging necklines worn by those too well-endowed in the chest department, while 40 per cent said bras visible above tops are not on.

It comes as no surprise that men were more lenient about female cleavages. Only 25 per cent of Austria's men said semi-transparent tops were a no-go zone, but 44 per cent of the female population considered that style an absolute fashion faux-pas.

Generally speaking, G-strings and revealing necklines are an office eyesore in the Alpine republic. Equally disastrous is combining dark tights with light, flowery summer skirts ("Ugh, awful," 28 per cent said).

Wearing moon-boots was another fashion flop, the study found. Platform wedges, flip-flops and ballerina shoes on the other hand got off lightly. So did stretch or low-cut jeans - just mind the G- string.

Men can't get away with everything either: Top-rated office no-no' were trousers worn too short (54 per cent) especially with colourful socks peeking (51 per cent) out. Fans of Scottish fashion were badly disappointed with 49 per cent saying skirts for men are definitely out.

Wearing your favourite football shirt or baggy pants to the office will not earn you fashion brownie points either.

The style-conscious eye was mor tolerant towards mismatching colour combos in suits - sending only one third of the interviewees off screaming. Around 20 per cent dislike key-rings and gizmos strapped to the belt - that hopefully matches the shoes - or bags for men.

Only 6 per cent thought short-sleeved shirts were a pooh-pooh, a relief to those suffering from summer heat and malfunctioning air- conditioning systems.

Women are definitely turned off by the summer combo of shorts and knee-high socks(42 per cent) - no matter how cool the wearer finds them. Sandals worn with socks were another sure-fire way of staying single, 34 per cent of Austria's women said. The same applied to trousers or jacket sleeves that were cut too short.

But what does makes up a fashion disaster? For around 30 per cent, it was either a "dress that does not suit the occasion", or "clothing that looks embarrassing."

For 19 per cent, even stricter criteria applied: mismatching combinations constituted a fashion no-no, as did "clothing that is not to my taste," 12 per cent argued.